PC leadership

Jason Kenney, the Conservative MP who has upended right-wing politics in Alberta with the suggestion he’s considering a run for the leadership of the PC Party, isn’t getting drawn into a war of words on his ambitions.

Some party members are none too pleased at the prospect of Kenney as their leader, particularly since the former federal cabinet minister has made it clear he would try to unite the right in the province.

Kenney was in Calgary Tuesday night speaking at an event hosted by Tribute to Liberty, a charity group that is raising money to create a national memorial to the victims of communism.

Thomas Lukaszuk, who lost a leadership bid against another former federal minister, Jim Prentice, said there should be restrictions on who can run to lead a party.

He said Kenney’s politics don’t align with the PCs and the MP for Calgary-Midnapore supported the Wildrose Party in the last provincial election.

There’s also the issue of taking the helm of a party just to destroy it.

“Why would you want to join a party that just a few weeks ago in Red Deer almost unanimously voted not to enter into any merger negotiations, on a platform to literally blow up and merge with Wildrose, when even Wildrose doesn’t want to be a part of that,” said Lukaszuk.